Friday, August 22, 2014

Indoor
hanging plants seem to come and go in style. Unfortunately, many
people lose interest in them because they become bored with little more
than green fronds hanging over their heads. But hanging plants can
offer a great deal more, depending on how they are selected.

A
hanging plant does not simply mean Boston ferns, Swedish ivy, and
spider plants, although these are remarkably easy to grow. There are
some foliage plants which sport colorful stripes and veins, while
others offer weird and intriguing leaf shapes. There are also a great
many flowering plants ideal for indoor hanging baskets, each suited to
different levels of light exposure, as well as temperature and
humidity ranges.

In fact, it is possible to find an
indoor hanging plant for every conceivable situation. The trick is
actually reading plant labels before bringing a plant home and also
doing some quick horticultural research before visiting a reliable
garden center.

Some basic concerns for hanging plants
involve just how you plan to hang them. Nothing is less appealing
than simply dangling an inexpensive plastic pot from a hook in the
ceiling. Instead, consider grouping three or five containers of
various sizes together in an open, well-lit area and hanging them at
different levels. Your arrangement will create a sense of both height
and depth. While determining the height at which you will suspend the
plants, keep in mind that you will want ready access to the plants for
ongoing care. Sometimes it is best to hang pots no higher than eye
level, depending on the location.

Also, the container
need not be the typical plastic pot and attached saucer. The saucers
often overflow, creating a mess, and the pots are usually very cheap
in appearance. You might want to set a plain pot with drainage holes
inside a more decorative pot or container without a drainage hole. You
will avoid spills, and decorative containers can offer a broad range
of textures and styles, which will enhance the overall appearance of
your plants.

It is often useful to set plants into a
soil-less medium to reduce weight, rather than relying on a heavier
standard potting mix. Some soil-free mixes are specifically made for
hanging plants and help conserve moisture and enhance aeration for
growing roots.

When it is time to water your plants,
it is preferable to actually take the plant down and water it in a
sink, at least on occasion. This approach ensures complete drainage,
and also allows you to inspect the plant more closely for pests while
tending to damaged foliage, dead flowers, and other pruning chores. In
addition, use this opportunity to thoroughly rinse off the foliage,
removing potential pests and dust. In fact, removing dust actually
increases the amount of light which can reach the leaf surface.

As
for the plants, do not limit yourself to traditional selections.
Common asparagus ferns are all well and good, but why not a look a bit
further for a special cultivar like Emerald fern (Sprengerasparagus)?
And why settle for plain green foliage when there are hundreds of
variegated plant species which will give you bursts of gold, cream, and
brilliant yellow, such as the popular Goldfish plant (Columneamicrophylla)?
Or substitute variegated Swedish ivy (Olectranthus coleoides
'Marginatus') for its lackluster cousin. Other interesting foliage
plants, like the large-leafed Fittonias, feature either deep red veins (Mosaic Plant), or brilliant silver veins (Silver Net Plant).

Of
course, entering the world of colorful foliage requires special
attention to light exposure. Always select the proper plant for the
proper location. For example, not all plants thrive in direct sun. Two
varieties of Arrowhead vine (‘Emerald Gem' and ‘White Butterfly') are
among the most beautiful trailing plants readily available. Given
moisture and shade, they will thrive for years. But place them in too
much light and they will literally fade away and die.

Location is not just a matter of sunlight and shade, however. One of the most intriguing hanging sedums, Burro's Tail (Sedummorganianum),
has leaves or "pads" which are easily dislodged through handling.
Such plants are best kept out of reach of children, pets, and tall
human heads.

Hanging plants can offer colorful
flowers in addition to exotic foliage. Christmas and Thanksgiving
cactus are perhaps among the most used flowering indoor plants,
although many garden centers also offer knock-outs like Lipstick vine (Aseschynathusradicans), which boasts profuse bright red tubular flowers, and Italian Bellflower (Campanulaisophylla),
an alpine perennial which does well in cooler indoor locations. One
of the most unusual trailing plants is the Rat's-tail cactus (Aporocactusflagelliformis),
an absolutely stunning cactus specimen with striking pink flowers. If
you can recover from the unpalatable common name, you may find that
this might be the only hanging plant you will ever need to impress
friends and visitors.

Orchids, naturally, offer an
amazing range of colors and growth habits, although they are a bit
more temperamental than grape ivy. Devotees, nevertheless, will
justifiably argue that the plants are worth all the extra care and
attention. In fact, for sheer horticultural hubris, an upscale
gardening concern offers an wrought-iron globe with built-in magnifier
for displaying and viewing one's prized specimen.

On
a more mundane level, bright kitchen windows provide an ideal
environment for garden herbs. Culinary favorites like parsley, chives,
and rosemary can do extremely well indoors, whether grown together as
a miniature hanging garden or planted and cultivated separately.

The
most important step you can take with hanging plants begins with
selecting species most suited to your environment, including light,
temperature, and humidity. But you should also select plants based on
your personality. Choose something exotic, fun and different, if you
enjoy caring for and exhibiting plants. If not, you can still add
color and life to your living space by referring to the following list
of dependable, time-proven favorites.

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Rooftop Retreat

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Butterfly Gardens

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About the GreenMan

I have been an environmental program director and educator for the past 25 years. I am also a writer, editor, columnist, and publisher, sometime producer, and off-and-on radio and cable television host.

The GreenMan? Beyond my educational background in Medieval Studies, and my personal interest in the image and myth of the "Green Man," I’ve taken on the term as a colorful bit of “branding” for my televised GreenMan Show and my long-running GreenMan newspaper column, which inspired many of the posts you find here.